Sprinkler head



Aprifi 4, 1950 A. c. ROWLEY SPRINKLER HEAD Filed Aprii 19, 1946 Patented Apr. 4, 1950 SPRINKLER HEAD Arthur C. Rowley, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to Globe Automatic Sprinkler Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 19, 1946, Serial No. 663,532

3 Claims.

This invention relates to sprinkler heads for automatic sprinkler systems and a principal object of the invention is to provide a simple highly efficient and inexpensive device of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler head wherein the thermo-responsive linkage and the linkage-retaining structure is composed primarily of wire or similar relatively inexpensive material.

Still another object is to provide a novel thermo-sensitive link element of improved characteristics.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler head which may be readily assembled by relatively inexperienced labor.

The invention resides further in certain structural features hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sprinkler head made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the sprinkler head;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the head;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the elements of the yoke constituting a structural member of the device;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6, Fig. 1, and

Fig. '7 is an exploded view in perspective of the elements of the thermo-responsive linkage.

With reference to the drawings, the sprinkler therein illustrated as an embodiment of the invention comprises a tubular fitting l which is threaded at one end to permit attachment of the fitting to one of the ducts of the sprinkler system in accordance with conventional practice. Conventionally also, the opposite end of the fitting l forms a seat for a closure disc 2 which normally seals the tubular passage 3 through the fitting and which, when released as hereinafter described, permits flow of water from the system.

In accordance with the usual practice, the sprinkler head includes a yoke 4 which extends outwardly beyond the discharge end of the fitting I and supports at its outer end a spreader 5, which may be of any desired form, said spreader being supported in line with the passage 3 so that water discharging from the latter may impinge upon the spreader and be distributed by the latter over the area controlled by the individual head. A thermo-responsive linkage, designated generally by the reference numeral 6, is provided which, in effect, forms a strut between the outer end of the yoke 4 and the closure disc 2 to normally hold the said disc to its seat, closing the passage through the fitting l as previously set forth. The structural form of the yoke and the structural and functional nature of the thermo-responsive strut device constitutes the subject matter of the present invention and will now be described in detail.

The fitting l is provided with a substantially rectangular mid section 7, and this mid section is provided in each of its sides with a groove 8, said grooves occupying a common transverse plane and forming a continuous recess in the periphery of the said mid section. In each of two of the opposite sides, the mid section is provided also with recesses 9-9 which extend from the aforesaid peripheral groove outwardly toward the discharge end of the fitting and which function for a purpose hereinafter described.

The yoke 4 consists of two elements [0 and H which are made, in the present instance, of stiif resilient wire, these elements being shaped as illustrated in Fig. 5. Each of the elements has at its base a rectangular oif-set l2 which is adapted to fit in the groove 8 of the fitting l as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the adjoining portion of the legs l3-I3 of the element extending outwardly through the oppositely arranged recesses 9-9 of one of said pairs. The elements In and H are mechanically interlocked with the base member by inserting the oifset base portions I2 into the groove 8 and springing the legs l3 into the recesses 9, so that separate attaching means or elements are unnecessary. At the outer ends of the elements, the legs l3-I3 converge with respect to each other by wayof shoulders i l-l4 and terminate at the extremities in two parallel portions l5l5. It will be noted also by reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 that the terminal portions I5-l 5 of one of the yoke elements lie contiguous to the extremities l5-l5 of the other elements so that they may be united and confined in the spreader 5 which embraces the said extremities as best illustrated in Fig. 6. As therein illustrated, the spreader 5 is provided at its center with an aperture which is defined by four inwardly projecting tongues I6 and these tongues fit respectively against the sides of the said extremities l5 so as to hold the latter tightly together and to also maintain the spreader in a plane horizontal to the plane of the discharge end of the fitting i. In assembly, the washer I1 is superimposed upon the outer face of the spreader 5 and around the terminal ends I5 of the yoke elements, and the latter elements may be slightly upset to retain the said washer and also the spreader 5 positively in the normal assembled position.

The linkage 6 consists of a pair of elements l8 and I 9 which are shown in perspective in Fig. 7. In assembly the one end 18a of the element [8, which performs the function of a strut, seats within a recess 20 in the outer surface of the closure disc 2. The opposite edge 2! of the link 18 forms a fulcrum for the offset end 22 of the element [9, as best shown in Fig. 2, this latter element performing the function of a lever as hereinafter set forth. The one leg of the lever 19 extends more or less parallel to the strut element l8 to one side of the latter, and is normally anchored to the strut element by means of a thermo-sensitive link 23 which is shown in perspective in Fig. 7. The other end 22 of the lever i9 bears against a sphere 30 which in assembly seats against the inner side of the yoke at the point where the extremities l5l5 of the aforesaid yoke elements :come together within the spreader 5, and the arrangement is such that in assembly the lever element l9 and link 23 are under tension, while the strut element !8 is under longitudinal compression so as to hold the closure disc 2 securely on its seat against fluid pressure within the base fitting I.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the link member 23 consists of a cylinder 24 which is made of windings 25 of relatively light wire, and the space in the interior of this cylinder is filled normally with a mass of solder or other heat-sensitive material 26. Embedded in the ends of this thermo-sensitive composition at the respective opposite ends of the cylinder 24 is a pair of spherical elements 21-21, the sides of which project beyond the ends of the cylinder 24, but which are retained in place in the cylinder by the said material 26. A bale 28 of wire has its ends 29-29 looped around the ends of the cylinder 24 and this bale in assembly embraces the end of the lever [9, as clearly illustrated. The cylinder 24 is positioned generally at the opposite side of the strut element l8 from the lever l9 and is prevented from passing through the said element is by engagement with the sides of this element of the projecting sides of the spheres 2'l21. This is clearly shown in Fig. 4.

When the thermo-sensitive material 26 is subjected to a predetermined maximum temperature, it fuses, thereby permitting the spheres 2'! to move inwardly. As the spheres move inwardly the melted solder escapes between the convolutions 25 oi" the cylinder 24. The cylinder 22 may then pass between the sides of the link KB. This releases the stressed lever l9 and permits the entire linkage structure to collapse, thereby also releasing the closure disc 2 and permitting the fluid in the system to discharge through the passage 3 and against the distributor 5.

It will be noted that one highly desirable characteristic of the device resides in the ease of manufacture and assembly. The yoke and linkage elements are readily fabricated from wire. The base fitting, being separately formed, may be produced of any suitable material and by any of numerous methods, as by forging, die or sand casting, or from rod stock on a standard screw machine. Assembly of the elements is extremely simple, and the link member 23 is so constituted as not to require the services of an experienced solderer, it being necessary merely to press the solder or fuse material, which may be in rod form, into the cylinder 24 and to embed the spheres 21 in the ends.

I claim:

1. A yoke structure for sprinkler heads comprising in combination a pair of wires each bent to the form of a loop with the terminal ends of the wire turned outwardly in side-by-side relation at one end and in the plane of the loop, said loops being disposed face-to-face with the said terminal ends of one loop adjoining the terminal ends of the other, a spreader element embracing the said terminal ends of both loops and securing the loops together, and means at the opposite ends of the loops for attaching the yoke to the body of the sprinkler head.

2. A yoke structure for sprinkler heads comprising in combination a pair of wires each bent to the form of a loop with the terminal ends of the wire turned outwardly in side-by-side relation at one end and in the plane of the loop and with the opposite end of the loop turned substantially at right angles to said plane, said loops being disposed face-to-face with the said terminal ends of one loop adjoining the terminal ends of the other and with the turned out portions at the opposite ends extending away from each other, and a spreader element embracing the said terminal ends of both loops and securing the loops together at one end, the turned out portions at the opposite ends of the loops being adapted to embrace opposite sides of the body of the sprinkler head to thereby secure the yoke structure to said body.

3. In combination a sprinkler head including a body portion and a yoke structure attached thereto, said structure comprising a pair of wires each bent to the form of a loop with the terminal ends of the wire at one end of the loop and with the opposite end of the loop turned substantially at right angles to said plane, said loops being disposed face-to-face with the said terminal ends of one loop adjoining the terminal ends of the other and with the turned out portions at the opposite ends extending away from each other, means for binding together the said terminal ends of the respective loops and for securing the loops together at the first named end, and said body portion having recesses in the sides thereof forming sockets for the said turned out portions and the immediately adjoining side portions of the loops wherein the yoke structure is positively interlocked with and rigidly supported on said body.

ARTHUR, C. ROWLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,108,362 Hamilton Aug. 25, 1914 1,176,380 Liljegren Mar. 21, 1916 1,342,203 Dawson June 1, 1920 2,151,982 Loepsinger Mar. 28, 1939 2,357,227 Rowley Aug. 29, 1944 

